God’s Gift of Light

During this season of Lent we have included an insert in each Sunday’s service bulletin titled, “Reflections from the Center for Reconciliation.”  Today’s reflection is about sin, brokenness and alienation in need of reconciliation.  The Book of Common Prayer states, “sin is the seeking of our own will instead of the will of God, thus distorting our relationship with God, with other people, and with all creation.”  

There are times when “relationships are broken due to circumstances beyond our control…. For example, victims of abuse, rape, racism, bigotry, the miscarriage of justice, etc. can feel alienated from others because of their experience….”  Whatever the reason for broken relationships the difficult work of reconciliation is required for healing.

John’s gospel describes Jesus as the "light of the world" and the "light of life."  Blindness is the opposite of light.  Light is the renewed and healed relationships that were broken.  The story about healing a man born blind is symbolic of this theme.  It is a story we can read as a drama in which there is a debate between the man born blind and some Pharisees.  Pharisees were the religious leaders during the first century of the Christian era.

The drama begins with an introduction: “As Jesus walked along, he saw a man blind from birth.”  Then, suddenly, the scene shifts to a dialogue between Jesus and the disciples.  The disciples asked about the cause of the man’s blindness and whether it was because of his sin or the sin of his parents.  Jesus responded by talking about the purpose of his blindness  “He was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.”

The question asked by the disciples reflected the view that when something bad happened to a person it was thought to have a causal effect that could be explained by sin or by failure to uphold the law.  Jesus’ response was that those familiar categories are not correct when it comes to understanding God.  The healing of the blind man was an occasion for experiencing the reality of God’s presence and power.

Jesus said,  “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”  Then “he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva.”  In commenting on this story, the New Testament scholar Gail O’Day wrote, “Spittle and clay may not be where we would expect to see God’s presence lodged, but then we would also not expect the Word to become flesh and dwell among us.”

After he was anointed with mud the blind man followed Jesus’ direction and “went and washed and came back able to see.”  The gift of sight had a profound impact on the man who received his sight.  It also had an impact on everyone who heard about it and came into contact with him.

The second scene of this drama tells us that the blind man was a beggar.  “The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar” began asking questions.  The fact of being blind had resulted in economic deprivation.  The blind man lived on the margins of society.  He lacked access to the social systems of care and support for those who could afford it.  He could only sit and beg and, because he had been born blind, he had never been able to work.

Next the third scene follows with neighbors asking questions: "Is this the man who used to sit and beg?"  They could not agree about the answer they heard so they asked where they could find Jesus.  When the man said, "I do not know," they took him to the religious leaders, the Pharisees, for further questioning.

The Pharisees asked questions that were similar to those of the neighbors.  When they heard his answers some of them wondered how a person who did not observe the Sabbath could do this, and others said that no sinner could perform such signs.  Then they got to the essential question, “What do you say about him?  It was your eyes he opened.”  The man now able to see answered, “He is a prophet.”

The Pharisees could not believe what they heard so they questioned his parents.  The parents answered, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes.  Ask him; he is of age.  He will speak for himself.”  But the Pharisees who had already asked him refused to accept the truth of his statement.  Questioning the parents resolved nothing.   

In the final scene the Pharisees once again questioned the man.  The point of this round of questioning was the man's reluctance to make statements about things he didn't know.  He simply accepted what had happened and told them, "Though I was blind, now I see." The interrogators were not pleased, they became angry and reviled him.  “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.... We do not know where this man comes from.” 

With his new sight the man had a skillful retort, “Here is an astonishing thing!  You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes.  We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will.  Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind.  If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

The entire drama demonstrates that the Pharisees were the ones who refused to see.  They could only accept that the blind man was born in sin.   They could not see God at work in giving the gift of sight.  Nor could they see God at work in any way that contradicted their preconceived views.  They were so sure of themselves that they “drove [the man] out.”

In her commentary Gail O’Day writes, “The Pharisees looked at Jesus and the man born blind and saw sin.  The man born blind saw the power and presence of God in his gift of sight and recognized Jesus as the one who made that power and presence possible.”  The man worshiped him; his life was transformed.

How do we see and what do we know?  We can be blind to truth that is right in front of us.  You may know about John Newton, the author of the hymn, “Amazing Grace.”  Newton was "spiritually" blind.  As a successful slave trader in the 18th century he saw African people only as a commodity to be traded and used.  Then, amazing grace burst into his life, and he was given the gift of sight.  One day Newton looked into the eyes of one of his slave cargo, and instead of an object, he saw a human being, a child of God.  All the slaves he had shipped were human beings but he had failed to see them as they were.  Until that moment he was blind to the truth.  Years later he wrote, "I once was lost, but now am found; was blind, but now I see."

The work of God is the work of reconciliation, of healing and forgiveness.  It is the work of compassionate love giving the gift of sight and new life.  What keeps us from experiencing and being transformed by the healing power of God in our lives is our own blindness to God’s power and presence in the lives of those around us.  Our transformation happens when we let the light shine.  We heard about it in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, “Now in the Lord you are light.  Live as children of light – for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true.”  May our eyes be opened, and may we be reconcilers and healers of broken relationships so that the light of God's love will be visible to everyone.  Amen.